


Tongue-Tied

by shadowed_sunsets



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, None - Freeform, Really. - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-15 22:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12330096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowed_sunsets/pseuds/shadowed_sunsets
Summary: On  one of their adventures, Rose, the Doctor and Jack find themselves  facing a situation they'd never expected, leaving Rose to plan their  escape on her own. Prompt: loss of speech.





	Tongue-Tied

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this was supposed to be angsty and h/c... but, somehow it turned into fluff. I guess this trio just does that to me ;)

 

Rose had always known that this new Doctor’s tendency to babble would get them into trouble one day. She’d just figured it would come sooner than later, and that it wouldn’t have such hilarious results.

~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~

Jack scrambled to his feet once the TARDIS stopped shaking and walked carefully around the console to find Rose sprawled on the floor, looking shaken but amused.

As he helped her to her feet, Jack called over to the Doctor, sounding amused himself, “Little bumpy there, Doc.”

The Doctor poked his head out around the rotor to look over at the other man. “You do realize that you were _helping_ ,” he asked skeptically, setting a few last controls.

“Yeah, but I was just following your directions,” Jack replied easily, not flinching at all under the Doctor’s mild glare.

“Boys! Boys!” Rose called as she clapped her hands, interrupting what was likely to become the Doctor trying, mostly ineffectively, to defend his piloting skills with or without Jack’s help. Once the Doctor came to stand beside her and both of the men were looking at her, Rose added with a cheeky grin, “You can fight over who’s the best driver later. Right now, it’s time for exploring!”

Jack and the Doctor shared a look for a few seconds, and then Jack grabbed her hand and began leading Rose quickly over to the door. “You’re right, Rose,” Jack agreed enthusiastically as they walked. “Let’s see where the Doc’s landed us _this_ time.”

“Wait!” Rose protested, digging in her heels a little so that both of them came to a stop on the railing. “Shouldn’t I get my jacket?” She asked, glancing back towards the inner door of the TARDIS.

“Nah, you’ll be fine,” the Doctor reassured her warmly as he caught up with them while in the midst of pulling on his coat.

“This from the one who wears layers _and_ his coat everywhere,” Rose muttered under her breath as Jack led her through the doors and into what looked like the middle of a city.

The Doctor joined them outside a few seconds later, pulling the door of the TARDIS closed behind him as they stood looking out at the city in front of them.

“Welcome to Alesia de la Gratia, 1609,” he announced excitedly, slipping into what Rose had nicknamed his tour guide mode. “This is a good year for the city, nearly a decade into a new century. It’s been years since the last war, so right now they’re in a time of peace.” The Doctor frowned uneasily, “Problem is… peace for them has also come with a time of high religious fervor.”

He promptly turned to face Rose and Jack, the frown quickly vanishing into a grin. “Which is why we’re here,” the Doctor told them, clapping his hands excitedly. “One thing that has come out of this time in their history is the temples built throughout the city.”

Rose blinked, feeling a little skeptical. Most of the time she was excited about all the things the Doctor took them to see since usually he was great at choosing places all three of them would enjoy. But this time… “We’re here to see some temples?” She asked, surprised at his choice.

The Doctor’s excited grin faded into the mildest of his hurt puppy dog looks. “This city’s known for its temples, Rose! They’re brilliant works of art, absolutely amazing!” He explained passionately, trying his best to persuade her.

“In other words,” Jack whispered quietly in her ear, a smile evident in his voice, “they’re artistic temples.”

Rose tried desperately not to laugh, but the Doctor had already gone on, warming, as usual, to his topic.

“Each temple was built in a certain place in the city so that together they form a symbol thought by their version of Priestesses to protect the city. Not only that, but since a specific artist designed and helped build each one, all of them are unique.” His eyes were bright and wide behind dark framed glasses as he lectured them, gesturing wildly with his hands. “Think about it, Rose, half a dozen or so temples in a city known for its inspired artists and imaginative builders. Can you even think of how beautiful they must be?”

Rose held his eager gaze for such a long time without responding that finally the Doctor’s shoulders began to droop in the disappointment that she didn’t want to see the temples after all. It was only then that Rose turned to look at Jack, also looking very amused, and smiled conspiratorially at him.

He smiled back at her in the same way, so Rose turned back to the Doctor who was now watching the two of them looking completely confused.

“All right, Doctor,” she finally relented with an amused smile, knowing she sounded like she was humoring him, “We’ll go see the pretty temples.”

The Doctor came alive again at her words, straightening up once again full of energy. “Great!” He exclaimed happily, beaming at them as he clapped his hands. “Molto bene!”

While the Doctor hurried across the city square, walking ahead of them in his eagerness to explore, Jack turned to Rose.

“You never know, Rose,” he said in a reassuring tone of voice as they started after the Doctor. “The temples might be fun.”

Rose quickened her pace so she could keep up with Jack’s long strides. “Oh, I’m counting on it,” she replied, looking over at him with a bright smile.

“There might be cute temple boys,” Jack added thoughtfully, as if she needed more persuasion. “Or cute priestesses,” he said half to himself in the same thoughtful tone. “Or both.”

“Don’t hurt yourself, Jack,” Rose advised him kindly, reaching out to take his hand and squeeze it lightly. “We might need you some time soon. That is, if we need someone to… not gawk over the pretty temples.”

Jack laughed cheerily, smirking a little at the idea. “Good to know I can be useful,” he told her good-humoredly, linking their hands together.

“Always,” Rose reassured him in return with a soft smile. Then she pulled Jack along at a quicker pace until they had finally caught up to the Doctor.

“So, Doc,” Jack began curiously, reaching out to rest his free hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. “Where are we going to find these beautiful temples?”

The Doctor stopped at the weight of Jack’s hand, and turned to face both him and Rose. “Well, we’ll…” His enthusiasm trailed off a little as he turned to look around them looking confused. “I’m sure we’ll find one eventually?” The Doctor said finally, the statement sounding more like an uncertain question.

Rose shifted to survey the street they’d stopped in the middle of, and frowned confusedly at what she saw. “Why isn’t anyone else outside?” She asked her companions worriedly, looking back up and down the street.

At her worried question, Jack turned as well in order to follow Rose’s gaze. “She’s right, Doc,” He said quickly, glancing carefully around them. “Ever since we walked out of the TARDIS, I haven’t seen anyone.” His strong feeling that something was wrong about this place now fulfilled, Jack tugged Rose closer so she was right up next to him, in a position where he could protect her.

Beside them the Doctor stiffened, the excitement in his expression fading away into alertness. But his voice still remained jovial as he offered, “I’m sure that everyone’s just… inside. Middle of the day, it’s probably siesta time.” The Doctor must have realized he wasn’t sounding very convincing, even to his own ears, because he added more quietly, nose wrinkling, “Or something.”

“I’d bank on that ‘or something,’ Doc,” Jack replied uncomfortably, moving closer to the Doctor and pulling Rose along with him. “This quietness, it’s not natural. Everyone should be out enjoying the day…”

“But they’re all gone,” Rose finished for him, grateful for their comforting presence beside her. Usually she’d be annoyed they were trying to protect her, as if she couldn’t defend herself, but right now she was unnerved enough to be upset.

The Doctor slipped one hand into his pocket, fingers tightening around the sonic screwdriver. “It is odd, I’ll give you that.” Eyes still studying the street around them, the Doctor reached back and took Jack’s hand in his. “Come on, let’s keep walking,” the Doctor suggested, his voice hushed. He then started walking down the street in the direction they’d been going originally, making sure Jack was close by and Rose right next to him, wanting to keep the two of them close.

Trying to lighten the mood, the Doctor searched his mind for anything else he knew about this city. It felt like he was missing something important, but he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly. So instead he shared what might be considered trivial information, just for the sake of talking (which was one of the things he was _very_ good at doing.)

“This city isn’t very old actually; it was founded only a few centuries ago. By a group of settlers, actually, war refugees,” the Doctor explained to his companions, keeping his voice hushed yet cheerful. “They went looking for a new place to live, and found this lovely piece of land. A place where it’s usually warm and sunny, with a short winter **-** like season, and longer days than Earth,” he enlightened them, turning to look over his shoulder at Jack and Rose. “Not too bad, really.”

“What are you doing here?” An icy, no-nonsense sounding voice asked sharply from right in front of them.

The Doctor whirled around to find himself face to face with a very official looking trio of women. The woman standing at the front looked exceptionally infuriated, her arms crossed across the front of her robes.

“Hello there!” The Doctor greeted warmly, grinning at her. “I’m the Doctor, this is Jack, and that’s Rose,” he said, pointing at each of them as he said their names.

When the woman continued to glare, and the other two kept glancing crossly at him as they whispered to each other, the Doctor realized that he might as well answer their question.

“Ah, right, yes,” He said quickly, dropping Jack’s hand. “You had a question, didn’t you? I suppose you want that answered, am I right?” Before they could answer, the Doctor went on, “Well, you see, we’re travelers.” He smiled brightly at them, hoping to stop their glaring, “We just came to see-”

“In the name of Her Grace, _you will be silent_!” The lead woman snapped at him, her yellow green eyes cold with fury.

As the Doctor’s mouth snapped shut, eyes wide in surprise at her command, Rose snickered quietly to herself.

“ _Thank_ you,” The woman said with a loud sigh, raising her hand to press her fingers irritably against her forehead. “You do love the sound of your own voice, don’t you?”

The Doctor opened his mouth to protest, but she just gave him a look and said crossly, “ _Do not speak_.”

Hoping to divert their anger, Jack stepped around the Doctor to address the other two women in the crowd. “Hello there,” he greeted warmly, smiling flirtatiously at them. “Anything _I_ can do for you?” Jack asked in a low voice, leaning forward towards the women.

The woman on his left with the orange-red eyes smiled shyly back, glancing away with a slight red tint to her cheeks now. But the other woman, with the same colored eyes as the head woman, glowered at him, stepping protectively in front of her companion.

“How dare you speak to her that way!” She scolded Jack harshly, eyes flashing dangerously. “You have no right to speak to her, yet not only do you do so, but you also say such awful things!” The woman made a noise that sounded like she was hissing, sounding absolutely disgusted. “Men are such revolting creatures.”

“Hey, now,” Jack protested quickly, all flirtation gone from his voice now as he lifted his hands defensively in the air, “All I asked was-“

If possible, the woman’s expression became even colder at his attempt to defend himself, while her companion began to look slightly uncomfortable.

“Did I _say_ you could speak?” She hissed angrily, voice dripping with contempt. Then, as Jack began to realize it might be better to actually not say anything for once, she turned to the woman in charge who’d been busy dressing down the Doctor in the meantime. “Mother Superior, this one is impertinent as well. I would move to suggest we arrest them and take them into holding.”

“What?” The Doctor cried out in protest without thinking first, “Just for _talking_?”

The other two women turned to glare at him in fierce disapproval.

“Seeing as you have no say at all in the matter,” the Mother Superior informed him coldly, “Your protests will be ignored.”

“However,” the other woman chimed in with the same iciness, “If you insist on continuing your protests, your charges will be increased.”

Rose decided that this would be a good time to intervene before the Doctor shoved his foot even further into his mouth and the same with Jack.

“Shut up, Doctor,” Rose hissed quietly, punching him lightly in the arm as she stepped in front of both of them. “And you,” she whispered to Jack as well, “don’t make this any worse.”

With her two companions hopefully told off for now, Rose turned to face the other women with what she hoped was an apologetic smile.

“Sorry about that,” Rose apologized with a light shrug, trying to appear as open as possible. “These two never know when to shut up and just listen.”

The women looked like they didn’t have any trouble believing that at all, but still weren’t impressed or placated by her apology.

“Anyways,” Rose quickly went on before she lost them, “Could you tell me what’s going on here?” She asked hopefully. “Why is no one out? Where are they?”

At her curious questions, the two younger women seemed to be shocked, as if they hadn’t expected those specific questions at all.

But it was the Mother Superior herself who was the one to voice their shared confusion.

“What do you mean, child? How can a woman of this city not know of the importance of this day?” She asked kindly, as if they were familiar with each other, and not being harsh like she’d been with Jack and the Doctor.

Rose’s mouth opened in a slight ‘oh’ as she began to understand. “Well, like the Doctor was saying before, the three of us aren’t actually from this city,” she said, trying to explain their presence in the city without giving away the fact that they were off-worlders. “We’re travelers.”

The Mother Superior’s gentle look quickly faded at Rose’s attempt at an explanation, and her mouth flattened into a stern line instead. “No travelers are allowed into our city on this day, and all residents must remain inside their homes until the sun next rises. Therefore it is impossible for the three of you to be here.”

“Yet here we are,” the Doctor chimed in cheerfully, spreading his arms to indicate himself, Rose, and Jack.

Rose shifted slightly so she was able to jab the Doctor in the side this time. “Be quiet!” She hissed desperately at him again. The last thing they needed right now was his smart-aleck remarks when the three of them were already in trouble. “We didn’t come from outside the city, exactly,” Rose explained evasively, turning back to the three women, “We were actually inside the city first.”

The orange-red eyed woman, who had stayed quiet until now, suddenly looked up at her, her eyes gleaming with interest. “How?” She asked eagerly, taking a step forward. “How did you do such a thing?”

“Elajiv!” The younger yellow-green eyed woman hissed disapprovingly at her companion. “Contain yourself! You should not worry about such things.”

The woman whose name was apparently Elajiva ducked her head, embarrassed, and then stepped back behind her companions.

“Well, it seems that not only are your male companions impertinent, speaking on a day when they should not speak at all,” The Mother Superior declared critically, folding her arms across her chest. “But the three of you have also trespassed into our city, plainly mocking this important religious holiday for us.”

Rose’s mouth dropped open on its own at the older woman’s pronouncement. “R-religious holiday?” She echoed weakly, her voice shaking a little. Rose spun around to face the Doctor, who she was worried to see looked just as surprised as she was. “You didn’t say it was a religious holiday!” She hissed at him accusingly.

“I didn’t know!” He hissed in return, looking truly worried which was never a good sign with him.

“It’s all right, Rose,” Jack said sympathetically in an attempt to reassure and encourage her. “Just go along with it, do your best. We’ve been in tight spots before.”

The Mother Superior loudly cleared her throat, causing the three of them to jump at the sudden noise. “If you three are quite finished discussing your excuses with each other, I’m sure we would enjoy hearing them.”

“We didn’t know!” Rose blurted desperately as she quickly turned back to the other women. “When we landed here we didn’t know this was a holiday for you. So we’re really, very sorry.”

“A likely story,” commented the younger yellow-green eyed woman, eying the three of them accusingly.

The Mother Superior raised a stern hand to silence her companion. “Quiet, Alaya, I wish to hear this.” She looked at Rose with maybe just a small spark of compassion. “Go on.”

As she made another attempt at an explanation, Rose tried not to glance over at the Doctor or Jack. “We didn’t come here to ruin your holiday, promise. The Doctor told us about your beautiful city, and Jack and I wanted to see it for ourselves,” Rose told them cheerfully, doing her best to make it sound like she was being truthful as she was. “We had no idea this was an important holiday, or that we’d be trespassing.”

After Rose finished speaking, the Mother Superior looked judgmentally at each of them in turn. Rose straightened slightly, trying her best to look harmless. The Doctor met her gaze head on, but for once didn’t say a word. Jack simply smiled charmingly at her, for all appearances relaxed.

Finally the Mother Superior sighed deeply as she finally came to a decision. “You may have come into our city without knowing today was a religious holiday, but that does not make your disruption of our holiday, or your inability to follow its rules, acceptable,” she proclaimed, sounding very officious. “Your male companions have spoken in our presence, and ignored our orders, on a day when, as I have said, they are not allowed to speak at all. Also, they did not seek your permission, as they must at all other times. And you,” the Mother Superior added, turning to look sternly at Rose. “You, my child, also spoke out of turn, and without our permission. All though we women are the superior ones in this city, all who are not part of the religious order are not allowed to speak this day unless it is in prayer.”

Rose was curious to know if the older woman was serious with all of these charges, but she bit her tongue instead since the three of them would only get into even more trouble if she did. Instead Rose just asked, “So, what are you going to do with us then?”

“As I mentioned earlier, the three of you will be arrested and taken into holding until your charges can be processed,” the Mother Superior’s eager yellow-green eyed companion informed them smugly, not completely successful in hiding her delight at them being arrested. “But there is no need to worry,” she added with obvious false reassurance, “I’m sure you will be quite comfortable there.”

“Oh, there are lots of other places where I’d feel more comfortable,” Jack commented dryly with just a small grin as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

The Doctor turned to look at his friend curiously. “And just a few of those are jails, aren’t they?” He asked, voice dripping with amusement.

“Sure,” Jack agreed mildly with a small shrug, barely able to hide his grin.

As cliché as it was, Rose tried very hard not to smack her forehead with her palm, or to turn around and yell at the two men who she thought were supposed to be adults. If they were trying to make the best of the situation, they were really just making it worse instead.

Hoping to draw the women’s attention so they’d ignore her two hopeless companions, Rose silently held out her hands. “Feel free to go ahead and chain me up or whatever,” she offered in an attempt to sound cooperative.

The three women’s expressions promptly transformed into looks of horror at such an idea.

“Oh, no,” the Mother Superior told Rose kindly as she shook her head. “We would never do such a primal thing as put you in chains.”

Rose blinked in surprise at the woman, lowering her hands back to her sides. “So what’re you going to do then?”

“Something nowhere near as barbaric,” the Mother Superior explained cryptically with a small smile on her face.

Rose was wrestling with just what the older woman could mean when she suddenly felt something cold pressed against her neck, and then the world around her faded to black.

A few seconds later, the Doctor and Jack followed her into unconsciousness.

~~~~*~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~*~~~~

Rose slowly drifted back into consciousness to find herself lying face down on a very cold and hard surface. She groaned stiffly, and tried to shift into a sitting position, but her body protested loudly at any movement she tried to make.

“Welcome back, child,” the voice of the Mother Superior greeted her from somewhere nearby. “I’m glad you have awoken so quickly.”

Rose lifted her head just enough so she could see the Mother Superior and Alaya standing a few feet away on the other side of a ordinary-looking cell door with metal bars.

“Oh, hello,” Rose said slowly, still a little groggy from whatever they had used to knock her out. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d kind of hoped before was just a dream.”

The two other women shared brief looks of confusion before they turned back to her.

“Many things have occurred while you were asleep,” the Mother Superior informed Rose knowingly, with a small sly smile. “And I am glad to say that the results are very much in your favor. In this way, we come bearing good news for you.”

At the older woman’s announcement, Rose managed to scramble to her feet and walked over towards the women to stop just in front of the bars.

“So, you’re going to let us go then?” She asked hopefully, starting to think that maybe things weren’t so bad after all. If these women would just release them without any more trouble…

The Mother Superior’s smile fell a little at Rose’s hopeful question. “I’m afraid you weren’t listening closely enough, my dear. The results of what has happened will be favorable for you, but the same cannot be said for your companions.”

Rose frowned, trying to work out the older woman’s cryptic ramblings. “What do you mean, then?” She finally asked, her brow creased in confusion.

 Alaya took the chance to speak up now, perhaps tired of the fact that they didn’t seem to be getting anywhere in this conversation. “What the Mother Superior is trying to say is, our Council has met, and after a period of discussion, we have made a decision.”

“And that would be…?” Rose questioned, trying to hide her annoyance. She’d rather know exactly what these women were trying to tell her instead of going around in circles with their cryptic remarks. It was just like talking with the Doctor when he was at his most vague.

Alaya actually managed to smile a little as she finally shared the supposed good news. “The charges against you have been dropped. You are free to leave as soon as the sun next rises.” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued. “However, this is in return for issuing a formal apology, as well as not returning to our city until five circuits have passed.”

Rose simply stared at the two of them; trying to understand the position they were putting her in.

“Do you agree to these requirements?” Alaya asked crossly when Rose didn’t respond after a few seconds.

Rose thought about it briefly, weighing her choices, and then quickly asked, “What about the Doctor and Jack? What happens to them? Do they get the same offer?”

The Mother Superior’s kind expression faded into one of regret that Rose didn’t quite believe was genuine. “No, I am afraid your… companions… will not be shown such mercy. They will be held in this place until the time of their trial, when they will be judged for their charges.”

“What?” Rose asked incredulously, unconsciously taking a step a forward in her disbelief. “What do you mean ‘trial’? They didn’t do anything so horrible they need to be judged for it!”

“They made a mockery of our beliefs, and our way of living,” the Mother Superior reminded her harshly, her voice sharp and her light eyes flashing. “Therefore, they must pay. We cannot and will not allow such behavior in our city.”

“They didn’t know!” Rose protested yet again, trying to defend her friends as she took another step towards the bars. “We had no idea we were breaking any laws or acting disrespectful! Why can’t you-?”

The sudden sound of groaning, and the rustle of clothes against the stone floor coming from nearby interrupted her right in the middle of her appeal.

In an instant, Rose turned around to face the room behind her. The sight that met her eyes then was the welcome one of Jack and the Doctor stretching idly against the floor, just like she had done when she’d first woken up.

“Jack! Doctor!” She cried out in delight before running over to the Doctor first and kneeling down beside him.

He managed to sit up with Rose’s help, using her support to keep himself upright. Then, once he was steady, the Doctor turned to give her a reassuring smile.

But Rose knew him too well to not read anything into that smile, so instead she asked him the question, “Are you all right?”

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer her, but all though his lips moved to form words, no sound escaped from them at all. Once he realized what was happening, the Doctor’s expression turned puzzled in the way it always did when he was confronted with a problem. He closed his mouth, and then waited a few seconds before reopening it and trying to speak again. But there wasn’t any change; he still didn’t seem able to speak a single word.

Rose stared at him, completely stunned. She’d never expected the day when the Doctor couldn’t speak. Rose moved her hands to rest on his shoulders. “Doctor?” She asked, her voice shaking with worry as she leaned in to look more closely at him.

 “I’m afraid he’s unable to answer you,” Alaya informed her snidely, not bothering to hide her smirk at all. Her gaze flickered over to Jack who was now attempting to sit up on his own. “Neither of them can.”

Following the other woman’s gaze, Rose made a relieved noise as she hurried over to Jack and knelt in front of him. “Jack, say something. Anything.”

He treated her to a smile that was very like the one the Doctor had given her. Then his mouth moved as he said something that, knowing him, was either flirtatious or full of innuendo. But, just like with the Doctor, there wasn’t any sound to accompany the movements.

Once she realized that neither the Doctor nor Jack could speak, just like the woman had said, Rose quickly straightened to her feet and spun to face the two older women. “Just what’ve you done to them?” She demanded angrily, wanting to know exactly what had happened to her friends so she could tell if they were in real danger or not. “Tell me!”

Alaya made a ‘tsk’-ing noise and said something that sounded like a disapproving, “Manners!”

But the Mother Superior spoke over her angry demands in a contradictorily calm and collected voice. “There is no need to worry, child. They have been given a draught that inhibits their ability to speak, a just and safe punishment for their disobedience.” When Rose looked like she was about to protest again, the older woman quickly continued, her voice stern, “It is, however, only temporary. The draught will wear off in time for their trial in two sunrise’s time, when they will have the opportunity to defend themselves.” She looked at Jack and the Doctor with a faintly disgusted look, her lip slightly curled. “However effective that may be.”

Rose considered this new information for a few long minutes, biting her tongue to hold back a scathing retort defending her companions. Finally she asked warily, narrowing her eyes doubtfully, “What’s this trial going to be like?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Alaya reassured Rose excitably, her eyes bright with what Rose suspected to be shady anticipation. “It will be completely fair.”

Rose gave the other woman a long, doubtful look. “Well, I want to make sure it is,” Rose told them stubbornly, drawing herself up to her full height, “So I’m going to stay with them.”

The Mother Superior looked as if she hadn’t expected this decree at all. “But, why child? In a few hours you will be free, there is no reason for you to stay.”

“’Course there’s a reason,” Rose insisted firmly, her voice growing with confidence as she continued speaking. “I love them both, no matter how daft they can be, and there’s no way I’m just walking away when there’s a chance something horrible could happen to them.”

Alaya and the Mother Superior turned to face one other, seeking each others judgment. Then, after a minute or so of whispered discussion together, the two women turned back to Rose again.

“Very well, you will be allowed to stay for now,” the Mother Superior informed Rose, speaking as if it’d been a difficult decision. “But not under any circumstances will you impede our judging process.”

This time, the two other women didn’t even wait for Rose to respond. They merely turned and began walking back down what Rose guessed was a hallway. As the women disappeared from view, the Mother Superior’s voice floated back to her, “Someone will come to check on you again in a few hours time.”

As soon as she couldn’t hear their footsteps anymore, Rose turned back to the Doctor and Jack. The two of them looked quite proud of her, but also a little annoyed as well (most likely at the fact that they couldn’t speak).

“So,” Rose said brightly with a grin, clapping her hands. “Either of you up for charades?”

A wide grin blossomed across the Doctor’s face in reply, while Jack just looked completely confused.

~~~~

A few hours later, the Doctor was leading in points while Rose and Jack were trailing heavily behind him. It wasn’t that Rose and Jack were necessarily bad at the game, at least Rose wasn’t. But the Doctor insisted on using large words that Rose had no hope of knowing, and some of them even Jack didn’t know. Rose kept protesting that he was cheating, but the Doctor would just give her one of his innocent looks, and since Jack couldn’t speak or knew the rules, he wasn’t much help.

Finally, Rose just gave up and let the Doctor have his victory, deciding that she’d get him back later when (if) they escaped.

She was just about to suggest they try another game, hopefully she’d have more luck then, when she heard a soft call at the door. Rose promptly rose to her feet and turned around, only to see the third woman they’d met in the city standing there.

“Your name is Rose, yes?” The woman asked in a hoarse whisper, looking at Rose with wide, nervous orange-red eyes. “Please, you must hurry. Come here.”

Intrigued despite herself, Rose hurried over to where the other woman stood at the bars. “What, what is it?”

Instead of answering, the orange-red eyed woman glanced up and down the hallway behind her. “You must be quiet, there isn’t much time,” she advised, reaching into the pockets of her dress and pulling out a metal ring of keys.

Rose stared as the other woman began picking through the keys, trying to find the right one. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“Helping the three of you get out of here safely,” she explained quickly, separating one of the keys from the others and holding it up to the lock. “There is no way Alaya or the Mother Superior will allow your two companions a fair trial. They will make sure your Doctor and your Jack will not walk free again.” The orange-red eyed woman slid the key into the lock and turned it slowly. “Therefore the three of you must escape before the trial can begin.”

Rose shook her head in protest, stepping back from the door as it swung open in front of her. “But you’ll get in trouble for helping us. I don’t want that.”

The woman smiled tightly at her, tucking the keys back into her pocket. “That’s only if I get caught, and I’ll try my best not to.” She held the door open for them, and gestured towards the right side of the hallway with her hand. “Now please, hurry.”

Rose bit her lip, considering whether or not to take this opportunity even if it meant putting the woman in a tight position. But finally she nodded her agreement and stepped towards the other woman, pulling her into a grateful embrace. “Thanks so much,” Rose told her earnestly, kissing the woman’s cheek before pulling away.

She turned back to where Jack and the Doctor were getting to their feet. “Well, come on you two lazy bums, shake a leg,” Rose teased with a grin, holding out her hand to them. “You might not be able to talk, but that doesn’t mean your legs don’t work.”

The Doctor gave her one of his looks that said, ‘Just because I can’t talk doesn’t mean you have to tease me about it,’ as he walked over to her. At the same time Jack held out his legs for her to see, spun around, and then finally walked towards her, showing off that he could indeed walk.

Rose laughed at Jack’s antics, probably as he’d wanted her to, and took the hand he offered to her. She looked over at the Doctor next, who held out his hand and wiggled his fingers invitingly. Rose laughed yet again and clasped her fingers in his before gently squeezing his hand. She then turned towards the woman who stood waiting for them by the open door. “Right, let’s go.”

The woman nodded and waved the three of them out into the hallway. Once they were standing next to her, she pushed the cell door closed and then locked it again.

“Why’d you do that?” Rose asked, intrigued, as the four of them started down the hallway.

The woman turned to look over her shoulder at Rose. “I thought it might stall them for a few minutes longer.”

After that they made the rest of their escape in silence, the woman leading and directing them with hand gestures instead of words. The escape itself was relatively easy, made especially so by the fact that there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the compound. Since technology didn’t seem to be a wide-spread presence on the planet yet, all the gates or doors that might have barred their way were easily opened with the use of the key ring the woman possessed.

It was only once they were safely out of the compound and in the surrounding area that the woman stopped and turned to them.

“I’m sorry, you must make the rest of the way on your own,” she explained, looking around carefully. “If I do not return when everyone wakes for the meal, then they will quickly realize what I have done once they notice you are gone.”

Rose released the Doctor and Jack’s hands to place her hands on the woman’s shoulders. “Come with us,” she invited quietly. “There’s so much out there to see, you don’t have to stay here.” When the woman didn’t say anything in response, Rose added persuasively, “I know you don’t like it here, and that you disagree with the Mother Superior. There’s no reason to stay.”

But instead of agreeing, the woman straightened and raised her head proudly. “There is every reason,” she declared, looking very determined. “I cannot tell you the details,” the woman said when Rose opened her mouth to argue. “But you should know, that if everything goes as planned, the Mother Superior will not be in charge for much longer.”

Rose grinned at the other woman as she said warmly, “Good for you.” The two of them jumped, startled, when a loud clap sounded from behind Rose. They turned to see the Doctor clapping with a proud grin on his face, and Jack nodding his head in agreement. Rose smiled at them and turned back to the other woman again. “I think that’s their way of saying they agree,” she explained, trying very hard not to laugh. “And it might be a good thing they can’t talk after all, this way you don’t have to hear the Doctor’s babbling about the importance of uprisings.”

The woman gave a startled laugh, looking happy yet also a little confused. “You three are such strange folk,” she commented with a small smile, shaking her head. “But, I think I am better for meeting you.” The woman smiled warmly at each of them in turn. “Take care of yourselves, and each other.”

“We will,” Rose promised with a nod, and squeezed the woman’s shoulders once before letting go. She turned and walked back towards the Doctor and Jack, taking their hands in hers again. “One more thing,” Rose said as the woman turned back towards the compound. “What’s your name?”

The woman frowned at Rose, surprised by the question, but still answered, “Elajiv, Elajiv Eilandor.”

Rose felt the Doctor stiffen beside her, but she squeezed his hand reassuringly and replied, “Well then, Elajiv, you take care of yourself too.”

Elajiv smiled in return. “I will,” she promised confidently, and then quickly made her way back inside the compound as the three of them watched.

Once the door had closed behind Elajiv, Rose turned back to the Doctor and Jack. “Well, come on you two,” she said, giving them her best cheeky smile. “I can think of a few things I want to try before I have to listen to your nattering voices again.”

The Doctor and Jack opened their mouths to protest, but then seemed to remember their inability to speak and settled for glaring indignantly at her instead.

Rose laughed cheerfully, happy that everything seemed to have worked out well in the end (even with the Doctor and Jack temporarily losing their ability to speak). Then she began leading them back into the city, and to the TARDIS.

~~~~

 


End file.
